DeSantis Signs $90 Billion Budget, Cuts $2.1 Million From Escambia Projects
June 22, 2019
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the state budget on Friday.
Items cut from the over $90 billion budget included $2.1 million for two projects in Escambia County. DeSantis cut $600,000 toward improvements on West Cervantes Street and $1.5 million to be used toward the expansion of the ST Engineering Campus at the Pensacola International Airport.
The new fiscal year budget begins July 1 and represents a 2.5% increase over the current year.
The budget includes $21.8 billion for education. That’s up $783 million or about $243 per student. There is $37.7 billion for heath care, up $527 million.
Boil Water Notices Lifted For Central Water Works, Farm Hill Utilities, Town Of Jay Customers
June 22, 2019
Boil water notices have been lifted to Farm Hill Utilities, Central Water Works and Town of Jay customers.
The notices were issued earlier this week for:
Central Water Works after a water main break Wednesday morning at the intersection of Cox Road and Highway 29. The boil water advisory was for customers between Cox Road and Byrneville Road.
Farm Hill Utilities for Muscogee Road from Hicks Street to Stinnis Street. The notice was issued after water was turned off Monday night for an Escambia County project.
Town of Jay for the area of Highway 4, Highway 89 and Commerce Street. The notice was issued due to planned fire hydrant replacement Thursday night, but the maintenance did not occur as scheduled.
Escambia Unemployment Rate Increases Slightly
June 22, 2019
The latest job numbers released by the state Friday show a slight increase in the unemployment rate in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Escambia County’s unemployment increased slightly from 2.9 percent in April to 3.0 percent in May. There were 4,410 people were reported unemployed during the period. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 3.3 percent.
Santa Rosa County’s unemployment rate increased from 2.7 percent in April to 2.8 percent in May. Santa Rosa County had a total of 2,267 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 3.1 percent.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.4 percent in May 2019, down 0.1 percentage point from the revised April 2019 rate, and down 0.3 percentage point from a year ago. The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.6 percent in May.
The jobless numbers released by the state do not include persons that have given up on finding a job and are no longer reported as unemployed.
Escambia Man Convicted Of Murdering Mother Of His Child
June 22, 2019
An Escambia County jury found Henry Steiger guilty of second degree murder in the death of his girlfriend and mother of his child.
Steiger, 53, will be sentenced next month for the death of Cassandra Robinson. He faces up to life in prison.
Robinson’s body was found July 12, 2018, inside a 55-gallon drum inside a cargo trailer located on vacant lot. She went missing in February 2018 and was reported missing by her family in early June.
Prosecutors said Steiger murdered Robinson after their daughter’s first birthday party.
Dependable Dobnak Guides Blue Wahoos Past Jacksonville
June 22, 2019
Randy Dobnak had few college offers in high school and hasn’t been anointed among anyone’s list of top prospects.
But what he’s done is become the Pensacola Blue Wahoos most consistently effective pitcher.
Dobnak, 24, followed a season-best outing eight days ago with one better Friday night, after working seven complete innings and leading the Blue Wahoos to an 8-1 victory against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
Amid a crowd of 7,351 at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville on a post-game fireworks night, Dobnak (3-0) sparkled by scattering seven hits, allowing no walks and striking out seven. In his previous start, he worked 6.2 innings at Blue Wahoos Stadium in a no-decision June 13 against the Tennessee Smokies.
The righthander shrugged off a booming, first-inning home run by Jumbo Shrimp second baseman Riley Mahan, to work in precision the rest of the game.
He had plenty of run support. Three Blue Wahoos had multiple hits, including newcomers Lewin Diaz and Aaron Whitefield, both of whom joined the team earlier this week on promotions from the Fort Myers Miracle, the Minnesota Twins’ High-A affiliate. The duo also had two RBI apiece Friday.
All of it equated into another enjoyable night for Steve Singleton, the Blue Wahoos hitting coach, who is the acting manager in this five-game series. Singleton is the substitute skipper while Ramon Borrego is on an extended vacation from the all-star break with his family.
The Minnesota Twins allow their minor league coaching staffs to take a five-day break during the season and Borrego chose to pair his vacation around the Southern League All-Star break. This is Singleton’s first time as a Double-A level manager.
The Blue Wahoos (40-32 overall, 2-0 second half) have responded for him in both games with strong pitching and timely hitting.
Borrego will be back when the Blue Wahoos begin a nine-game homestand on Tuesday night in Pensacola.
The Blue Wahoos took advantage of three Jacksonville errors, one apiece in the first three innings, to produce runs.
In the first inning, Travis Blankenhorn, who went 2-4 with two walks, led off by reaching on Mahan’s fielding error. He moved to second on a wild pitch, then to third on a ground out and scored on Diaz’ two-out single.
In the second inning, after two out, Joe Cronin singled and Blankenhorn walked. Alex Kirilloff, who rejoined the team Thursday after missing the last two weeks of the first-half schedule, produced an RBI single that became a two-run play after a fielding error.
Ben Rortvedt followed Kirilloff’s hit with a walk. Diaz and Whitefield then hit back-to-back, RBI singles to give the Blue Wahoos a 5-0 lead.
In the third inning, Jordan Gore reached on an error and scored on Blankenhorn’s two-out double. Blankenhorn had a second RBI in the fifth inning when he singled home Mark Contreras.
Whitefield, who finished 3-for-5, completed the scoring with an RBI double in the eighth inning.
Dobnak, meanwhile, retired the Jumbo Shrimp (29-43), the Miami Marlins affiliate, in three out succession during the second, fourth and fifth innings. He threw 91 pitchers in the seven-inning start, giving way to Tom Hackimer, who pitched the final two scoreless innings.
Dobnak grew up in Pittsburgh and played college ball at Alderson Broaddus (W.Va.) University, an NCAA Division II athletic member. The Twins signed him in August 2017 from an Independent League team in the United Shore Professional Baseball League, based in Michigan.
Since Dobnak rejoined the Blue Wahoos earlier this month, following four starts for the Rochester (N.Y.) Red Wings, the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate, he has come back even stronger.
In two starts, he’s worked 13.2 innings, allowing just two runs with 12 strikeouts and one walk.
The Blue Wahoos and Jumbo Shrimp will play the third game of their season Saturday night.
ECSO Seeking Missing Runaway Teen
June 21, 2019
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a missing runaway teen last seen Friday morning.
Felicity Briann Jenkins, 14, was last seen about 1 a.m. in the 6300 block of Fairfield Drive. She is 5′2″ and around 115 pounds. If you know the whereabouts of Felicity Jenkins, call the ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
Escambia Commission Delays Hiring Company For EMS Staff Training
June 21, 2019
Escambia County will delay a decision on new EMS training until after the new county administrator is in place.
Last month, Escambia County Medical Director Dr. Rayme Edler asked the Escambia County Commission for an expedited purchase of training services for EMS hands-on training.
After advertising for training services, the county only receive two bids.
One proposal was from The Rescue Company 1, LLC, in the amount of $144,696.91, and the other from Emergency Educational Training Institute, Inc., in the amount of $243,250. Rescue 1 is not on the Florida Department of Health list of continuing education providers, but Emergency Educational Training Institute is an approved continuing education provider.
Citing that reason and other concerns, Commissioner Jeff Bergosh made a motion Thursday to hire Emergency Educational Training Institute, but that motion failed due to a lack of a second from another commissioner.
Commissioner Steven Barry said he would support the training if it’s supported by new County Administrator Janice Gilley after she starts work for the county on July 1.
“If Janice comes back and she brings it forward, I am going to support this. I want to be on the record saying I am going to support it. I just don’t think it is a rush procurement right now,” Commissioner Lumon May said.
The Florida Department of Health is currently investigating allegations involving the possible falsification of training certificates by Escambia EMS and Public Safety. The county commission has hired attorney Ann Bittinger of Jacksonville, who specializes in health care law, to represent five county employees in the Florida DOH investigation.
“….We’re going to spend a ton of money defending employees internally,” Commissioner Lumon May said Thursday. “Inside an organization, where else in America would you have a supervisor reprimanding their employees, and you’ve got to go to Jacksonville and hire outside counsel? I mean there’s something wrong. Fundamentally, the training is not going to fix that. You keep piling turds on top of turds, you’re going to continue to get turds. You’ve got to at some point straighten it all out.”
He said he would not be bullied into hiring a company to conduct EMS training and EMS will continue to operate.
“We’re not going to shut down. It was too me, it was the most horrific thing and propaganda to give to the citizens of Escambia County that our people are not qualified. They are well qualified,” May said. “They are saving lives every single day without this training.”
“I’m going to put you on the spot. Do we need this? Is this a must have?” Bergosh asked interim Public Safety Director John Dosh.
“Based upon the information I’ve been provided by the medical director, she would like to see this enhanced training,” Dosh said. “I’m not a doctor, so I can’t answer that question for you.”
Photos: Magical Moogician In Molino, And Next Week’s Summer Reading Program Schedule
June 21, 2019
During the Summer Reading Program this week at the Century and Molino branch libraries, kids saw The Moogician, whos does every dairy with magic and songs.
The Summer Reading Program continues next week with Maks Annaev with juggling, magic, plate spinning, cirque style performance and physical comedy.
- Tuesday, June 25, 11 a.m. – Southwest Branch (held at Big Lagoon State Park)
- Tuesday, June 25, 3 p.m. Tryon Branch Library
- Wednesday, June 26, 11 a.m. – Century Branch Library
- Wednesday, June 26, 3 p.m. – Pensacola Library
- Thursday, June 27, 11 a.m. – Molino Branch Library
- Friday, June 28, 11 a.m. – Tryon Branch Library
The Summer Reading Program will then take a break the week of the Fourth of July and return the following week with Animal Tales.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Face 30 Years For DUI Manslaughter
June 21, 2019
An Escambia County man has been convicted of DUI manslaughter for the death of two passengers in his vehicle last year not far the the Walmart in Ensley.
Jamie Ty Hamrick, now 29, was driving south on North Palafox Street at Sharmon Street when his Honda Civic ran off the road, collided with a ditch, became airborne, hit a fence and overturned into a large oak tree about 2:50 a.m.on September 27, 2018.
Passengers La’Phontae DeWayne Lewis, 25, and Antion Wade Lindsay, 32, were ejected from the vehicle and pronounced deceased. Hamrick was not injured.
Prosecutors said Hamrick was under the influence of alcohol, Xanax and marijuana. He had a blood alcohol level of .155, nearly twice the legal limit. He faces a maximum of 30 years in prison when he sentenced on August 12.
Crestview Man Killed In Escambia County Wreck
June 21, 2019
A Crestview man was killed on Sorrento Road in Escambia County Wednesday night.
Thursday, the Florida Highway Patrol identified the victim as 59-year old Michael Pietrzykowski.
The FHP said Pietrzykowski was traveling west on Sorrento Road when he crossed into the eastbound lane and collided with a Jeep driven by 59-year old Watler Peden of Pensacola. Pietrzykowski’s vehicle continued off the roadway, collided with trees and caught fire.
A third driver, 23-year old Jack Hoehn of Gulf Breeze, did not see the collision in time to avoid striking the Jeep.
Peden was critically injured, while Hoehn suffered minor injuries.